Glen Ella, the former Wallabies full-back and England’s assistant coach the last time they toured Australia, let out a chuckle when asked if Eddie Jones gets an extra kick out of taking on his home country. “Ah shit yeah,” was the succinct response, which sums up pretty perfectly how someone Ella has known since the age of five is approaching the coming series.
Jones is under considerably more pressure than six years ago when, aided by Ella whom he had recruited as an attack coach, he guided England to a first series win in Australia and a 3-0 whitewash to boot. Now Jones returns for a second tour of Australia as England head coach and, according to Ella, the Wallabies are still stinging – all the more so because Jones has a 100% record and eight-match winning streak with England against Australia. But while Ella senses optimism among the Wallabies, he believes Jones is in his element with his back against the wall, after another disappointing Six Nations and an embarrassing defeat by the Barbarians.
